Coated and uncoated fibrous mats, and laminates containing the mat, having one or more surfactants on the fibers and binder holding the fibers together in only a portion of the thickness of the mat are disclosed. The mat contains a major portion of non-cellulosic fibers and a minor portion of cured resinous binder with the most typical fibers being glass fibers. The surfactant on the surface of the fibers causes a slurry or other liquid applied to the mat in a later process to form a board or laminate like faced gypsum board, a faced foam board, etc. to uniformly penetrate the mat to the desired distance. Also disclosed are methods of applying the surfactant(s) to the hot, coated or uncoated, mat soon after the coated or uncoated mat exits a drying oven used in the process of making, or coating, the mat.